On the surface, the murder conviction of Pablo Cruz may have seemed like a no-brainer.

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Within five hours, an Albany County jury determined the convicted 40-year-old felon plowed his truck into a bicyclist in Albany and displayed mind-boggling disregard for his victim: Cruz drove deep into Schenectady County with the man's body on his vehicle.

But before they found the Schenectady man guilty of murdering 45-year-old Paul Merges Jr. in 2012, they had to sift through legalisms that could reasonably have confused anybody who is not a legal expert.

For instance, the crime that the jury convicted Cruz of committing, sounds awfully like lesser counts with which Cruz was also charged.

The state Penal Law says a person is guilty of "depraved indifference" murder when "under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person, and thereby causes the death of another person."

The law says a person is guilty of first-degree reckless endangerment when "under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person." It says both crimes are "brutal, heinous and despicable acts" involving a "wicked, evil or inhuman state of mind."

The murder convictions carries 25 years to life in prison, reckless endangerment a maximum of seven years.

Jurors are not informed of the potential penalties. But considering that people generally have their own views on what constitutes "evil" or "despicable" behavior, that language in the definitions alone could confuse a jury.

Two jurors were initially unsure whether to convict Cruz of murder. The first jury note to Judge Andrew Ceresia asked for the definitions of first-degree manslaughter and depraved indifference murder.

And possible confusion existed with other charges, too.

The Penal Law explains a person is guilty of the first-degree reckless endangerment charge when that person creates an "unjustifiable risk that another person's death will occur" and the "grave and unjustifiable risk" constitutes a "gross deviation from the standard of conduct that a reasonable person would observe in the situation."

That language is nearly identical to the Penal Law definitions for second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, two other charges Cruz faced. Second-degree manslaughter requires the jury to find the defendant recklessly caused the death of a person through a "substantial or unjustifiable risk" that death will occur. Criminally negligent homicide involves "blameworthy conduct" and carelessness "apparent to anyone who shares the community's general sense of right and wrong."

Definitions of "right and wrong" vary. And so do the punishments. The manslaughter conviction charge 5 to 15 years in prison, criminally negligent homicide a maximum of four years.

Jurors heard evidence that Cruz was drunk and speeding and blowing through traffic signals. They watched video, captured by cameras on police cars, of Cruz fleeing from police for several miles, which made it seem miraculous no other people were killed. And finally, they heard Cruz testify that he was not there — this after his lawyer spent the entire trial arguing this was an unavoidable accident.

Michael Feit did everything but tackle his client to prevent him from testifying, but could not stop him. That choice was up to the defendant. In his closing argument, Feit ignored Cruz's own testimony and continued to call the lethal rampage an unavoidable accident.

The jury was unmoved.

The most confusing of charges were little match for a witness who lied.